The Fall of Castle Rexalia
by CrypticGirl
Summary: When a virus breaks out in Castle Rexalia, Senel's group is sent to obtain a sample of its origin. But when half of the group is infected before even reaching the castle, have they bitten off more than they can chew? Updated 12.27.07.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: ToL belongs to Namco...still.

Chapter 1

Solon stepped onto the bridge with an exceptionally large grin on his face. "Commander Vaclav...I have some exciting news."

Vaclav turned to face him. "What is it, Solon? You have an unusually large grin on your face."

"You know your enemy, the Holy Rexalian Empire, right?" Solon asked. "I know you're going to love this. My ninjas have reported that a radical virus has broken out in Castle Rexalia, and it's spreading across the empire like a wildfire."

Melanie and Cashel lit up, but Vaclav's face remained expressionless.

"So this means that the Rexalian Empire is falling..." Vaclav said.

Cashel shrugged. "Who would've thought that the illustrious Rexalian Empire would be taken down by a microscopic bug?"

"Unfortunately, I have no use for a dead empire," Vaclav added.

"But I have a plan," Solon continued to grin. "If we can learn more about this virus and how it spreads, we may be able to use it. If we can unleash the virus on the Legacy, killing everyone onboard, we would have the entire ship to ourselves!"

"Sounds like a good plan," Melanie said. "But how can we be certain that we don't get infected ourselves?"

"Hmm...how about we capture that apothecary, Alcott? I'm sure he can create some sort of immunization to the virus."

"Yes, that's true...but first he would need a sample of the virus, would he not?" Melanie asked.

"Very well, I'll leave that to you three," Vaclav said. "Melanie, Cashel, and Solon...you are to go to Castle Rexalia and find out more about this virus."

"Yes, sir!" the Terrors responded in unison.

The three Terrors vanished from the room in a puff of smoke.

---------------------

Senel's group stepped into Madame Musette's house, having been summoned by the Bantam Bouncers. They stood around the table, waiting for Musette to arrive. As they waited, there was a knock on the door. Since Jay was closest to the door, he was the one to answer it.

"Thyra?" he gasped.

"Jay," Thyra smiled. "Are you busy?"

"Well...yes. We were summoned here by Madame Musette."

"Thyra!" Shirley called. "Won't you come in?"

Jay looked annoyed. _Thanks, Shirley._

"Sure." Thyra stepped inside, joining the group around the table. "What's going on?"

"We don't know yet," Senel said.

"There's no doubt that Her Excellency has another mission for us," Will said.

At that moment, Musette came downstairs and Curtis and Isabella. The party waited for Musette to sit in her chair before seating themselves.

"Thank you for coming on such short notice," Musette said. "I've received a serious report from Rexalia."

The party glanced at each other, already sensing Musette's disturbance.

"What's wrong?" Chloe asked.

"There's been a viral outbreak in Castle Rexalia," Musette replied.

"It's not like rabies or the flu," Curtis said. "Tell 'em, Isabella."

"The scientists have been researching the virus for the past month," Isabella said. "The plague originated from a serum that was created to restore the brain functions – to bring back the dead."

Everyone gasped.

"You mean...zombies?" Jay asked.

"No, they're much worse than zombies," Curtis said. "These things are faster, more aggressive, and more vicious."

"For convenience, we call them 'hypersapiens,'" Isabella added.

Norma's eyes widened. "Whoa, this sounds serious!"

"The hypersapiens have completely overrun Castle Rexalia and are spreading across the empire," Musette said.

"So what should we do?" Senel asked.

"We'd like you all to go to Castle Rexalia and obtain a blood sample from the original hypersapien, the one that started the outbreak," Musette said.

"Hold up!" Moses protested. "We're supposed to go inside that castle where all those hyper...things are?"

"Even if we go, how can we tell which one started the outbreak?" Shirley asked.

"With this." Isabella pulled out a small device with a syringe inserted at the top. "This will analyze the DNA from the blood samples." She handed the devices to Will.

"We have these for you as well." Curtis handed each of the party members a laser handgun. "Use these to protect yourselves against those hypersapiens."

"Uh...thanks, but we'll be fine with our eres," Senel said.

"Are you sure? Your eres may not be quick enough...this especially goes for crystal eres."

"Uh, I think he has a point, Senny," Norma said.

"What happens after we get the blood sample?" Chloe asked.

"Alcott will use the sample to create an antidote," Isabella said. "The current hypersapiens should be put out of their misery, but if any of you should become infected, then you can be cured after the antidote is made. Just don't take too long to get back. The longer the victim is infected, the more the body will decay...like a corpse."

"I don't like this mission one bit," Will said. "But your wish is our command, Your Excellency."

"Good luck to you all," Musette said. "I pray that you will succeed."

Will stood up, placing his right fist on his left shoulder. "Thank you."

The others stood up with the same gesture.

"All right, everyone; let's head for Port-on-Rage," Will said.

"Wait!" Thyra called. "I want to go with you."

Shirley turned to face her. "Thyra...we can't let you put yourself in danger."

"But I really want to help."

"Are you sure you want to do this? This could be our most dangerous mission."

"That's all the more reason why I should come with you."

"Shirley, let her come with us," Jay said.

"Jay?" Senel asked.

"If this is our most dangerous mission, we'll need all the help we can get."

Shirley sighed. "All right..."

Curtis handed another gun to Thyra. "Here you go, missie. You're gonna need it."

"Thank you," Thyra responded.

She followed the group outside as they began to leave town for Port-on-Rage.

"Jay..." Moses nudged the boy. "Why did you want Thyra to come with us? I thought you didn't like her."

"I don't," Jay said.

Moses paused for a second. "Oh, I get it. You're hoping' that she'll get killed, right?"

"No. But if we're lucky, she'll get scared and run off."

"Ah...I get it!"

------------------

The party arrived at Port-on-Rage, preparing to board the ship to the mainland.

"Will!" a voice called out.

The group turned around to see Arnold and Elsa Alcott racing onto the port, both carrying heavy bags on their backs.

"Arnold?" Will asked. "What are you doing here?"

"We're going with you," Arnold said.

"But if you get infected, who's going to make the vaccine?" Chloe asked.

Arnold shook his head. "No, no, we're not actually going into the castle. We'll just wait on the mainland for you to bring the blood sample. It'll be quicker than sailing all the way back to the Legacy, getting the antidote from me, and then sailing back to Rexalia to deliver the antidote."

"You have a point there," Will admitted. "All right, we should reach Rexalia by sunset. Let's get some rest while we have the chance."

The group nodded, then began to board the ship.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The ship arrived at the Rexalian port as the sun was setting over the horizon. Senel's group disembarked from the vessel and greeted the Rexalian soldier standing guard on the port.

"Excuse me," Will said. "Could you tell us how to get to Castle Rexalia?"

The soldier jumped with a start. "Uh, I'm sorry, sir...Castle Rexalia is off limits. A virus has plagued the entire place, turning its victims into violent savages."

"No, we're here to find a cure," Will said. "We're under the orders of Her Excellency, Madame Musette herself."

The soldier gasped. "Oh, Her Excellency sent you? Please forgive my rudeness. I'll drive you to the Dead Zone."

"The D-D-Dead Zone?" Norma asked.

"That's what we call the infected area," the soldier went on. "The castle itself, and the area within the one-mile radius. We call it the Dead Zone, because anyone who crosses the barricade is as good as dead."

The soldier led the group to a van, and everyone climbed aboard. Then the soldier began to drive.

"Maybe we shouldn't do this..." Moses lamented.

"We've already come this far," Will said. "We'll see it through to the end."

The group remained silent for the remainder of the ride. When they arrived at the barricade, they climbed out, and the soldier approached the guards who were on duty.

"Excuse me; these people were sent by Madame Musette," the soldier said.

"Is that so?" the guard asked. "Identify yourselves."

The group nodded, and they each took turns introducing themselves.

"All right. I'm Will Raynard."

"I'm Senel Coolidge."

"I am Chloe Valens."

"I'm Norma Beatty."

"I'm Moses Sandor."

"I'm Jay."

"I'm Shirley. My true name is Fennes."

"I'm Thyra. My true name is Welzes."

Everyone paused for a moment.

"Hello, G-Girl..." Norma called.

Grune looked around. "Hmm?"

"Uh...this is Grune," Senel told the guard.

"Hmm, I recognize the names," the guard said. "You're the ones who defeated Vaclav when he was waging the war against Gadoria, aren't you? In accordance to Her Excellency's wishes, I shall let you pass. Take this path to the castle, but be careful. There may be some hypersapiens lurking about. They're extremely dangerous, especially in large groups."

Senel nodded. "Yeah, we've already been warned about the hypersapiens."

"Good luck, everyone," the first soldier said. "Oh, there's one more thing you should know before you go. We received a report that before the scientists were killed, they managed to capture the original hypersapien and lock it up in the lab."

"Ah, thank you," Jay said. "That information will be a great help."

"No kidding," Senel agreed. "Well, let's get going."

The party began to cross the barricade and walk down the path to the castle. Arnold and Elsa stayed behind.

"So, who are you?" the guard asked. "You're not going with them?"

"Oh, I'm Arnold Alcott, and this is my daughter Elsa," Arnold said. "We'll be creating the antidote once they bring the sample back."

----------------

The party followed the path as the road seemed to be getting darker, and a thick fog was beginning to set in.

"This is awful..." Chloe said. "Is this what happened to the glorious empire of Rexalia?"

"Musette would be heartbroken if she saw this," Shirley said.

As they continued down the path, they spotted a figure in the shadows ahead, walking awkwardly.

"Look, someone's coming!" Norma called.

"It looks like a Rexalian soldier," Chloe said.

"Why's he walkin' so funny?" Moses asked.

The group cautiously approached the soldier, but stopped when they heard some vicious snarling noises from the soldier.

"He's making such horrible noises..." Thyra said.

The group gasped as they came to a realization.

"Is that...a hypersapien?" Shirley asked.

"Most likely," Will said. "Wait here."

"Will, be careful," Senel warned.

Will slowly moved closer to the figure, drawing out his handgun. The soldier continued to walk awkwardly, seemingly unaware of the historian's approach. Will aimed the gun and fired several laser shots, striking the soldier's chest. The soldier snarled with each shot, then fell to the ground. Will knelt down beside the soldier, pulling out the DNA scanner.

"Will, what are you doing?" Senel asked as the party gathered around.

Will inserted the syringe into the soldier's neck, drawing blood. He then inserted the syringe into the scanner for the analysis. "Looks like a negative match."

Pausing for a moment, Will pulled off the soldier's helmet, and the party immediately noticed its other physical features. He had veins popping from his head, bloodshot red eyes, and a mouthful of sharp, green teeth. Additionally, a black sludge was oozing from the soldier's mouth.

"Eeuw, look at his eyes!" Thyra cried.

"The better to see you with, my dear!" Norma cackled.

The soldier lifted his head, bearing his green teeth, snarling at the party.

"Ah!" Shirley gasped. "What big teeth he has!"

"The better to eat you with, hello!" Norma called.

"Norma, cut it out!" Senel snapped.

Will put the scanner away. "All right, let's get moving."

The group nodded in agreement. The soldier roared even louder, until Jay took his gun and shot him in the head. Then the heroes began to walk down the path again.

--------------

Meanwhile, the Terrors had already made their way into the castle, exploring the long, dark corridors.

"So Solon, how serious is this virus?" Melanie asked.

"From what was reported to me, its victims are supposed to turn into violent savages," Solon replied. "We need to find out how the virus is spread. Then we can use it to take control of the Legacy."

"And immunize ourselves," Cashel added. "The virus will do us no good if we get infected, too."

"I agree," Melanie said.

"Don't worry, no virus is a match for our strength," Solon said.

"Of course, Solon," Cashel agreed.

"We should start checking the rooms," Melanie said.

"Yes, there's nothing in this empty corridors," Cashel said.

Solon stopped in front of a random door. "This looks like as good a room as any."

All three of them stood in front of the door, ready to charge in.

"Ready?" Solon warned. "Now!"

He kicked the door open, and the Terrors stepped into the room in a defensive stance. The room was a complete mess; the decorations had been knocked to the floor, and the walls were stained with blood.

"It must have been a complete massacre in here," Solon said. "I'm only sad that I wasn't the one who caused it."

"Or at least witness it," Cashel added.

Just then, a female hypersapien in a purple dress stepped out awkwardly, snarling at the Terrors. They spread around, quickly surrounding her as she snarled at them. As the hypersapien got ready to pounce, Solon pulled his laser gun, shooting her in the head and killing her. Solon grinned as the dead body hit the floor with a thud.

"So this is a virus victim?" Melanie asked.

"She didn't even seem human," Cashel said.

"It's just like the report..." Solon mused. "She was a savage...even moreso than described. You know...this gives me an idea."

"What is it, Solon?" Melanie asked.

"I rather enjoyed killing this victim. So why don't we search for more victims and slaughter them?"

"Yes, a brilliant idea!" Cashel agreed. "I love it!"

"Well then, let's quench our thirsts, shall we?" Solon turned and left the room, followed by the other Terrors.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Senel's group reached the end of the path and hid behind a thicket, looking up at the massive Castle Rexalia. And then they looked at the large army of hypersapiens walking blindly in front of it. Additionally, the drawbridge was up, blocking the entrance. Everyone pulled out their laser guns, preparing to defend themselves.

"Whoa!" Norma cried. "There are hypersapiens all over the place!"

"We'll have to bust our way through!" Senel said. "Let's go!"

"Everyone, hold on!" Jay stopped them. "That may not be necessary."

"You got a better plan, Jay?" Moses asked.

Jay paused, looking carefully at the hypersapiens, particularly the castle residents, whose heads weren't covered by the helmets like the soldiers had.

"They have a far-off look in their eyes," he explained. "It looks like they can't see very well. Remember how that first hypersapien was oblivious to Will's approach?"

"Yeah, what about it?" Senel asked.

"It may be possible to sneak past them, if we remain quiet and move slowly," Jay said. "But the moment they spot us—"

He was cut off when Thyra suddenly screamed, "Oh Nerifes!!"

The group spun around to see another large group of hypersapiens was coming at them, taking awkward steps as they swung their arms about limply, snarling viciously. Some of them even carried weapons, such as swords or axes.

"Ahh!" Norma and Shirley both aimed their guns and began to fire their shots.

"Well, never mind then," Jay spat. "We'll just do it Senel's way."

"We've gotta move!" Senel called.

"Right. Let's go!" Will agreed.

"YAHOO!!" Moses let out his ear-piercing battle cry as he jumped out from behind the thicket with his spear ready.

Senel ran into the battle, throwing hard punches, knocking one hypersapien into the others behind it with the bowling pin effect. Chloe used her sword to slash the attacking hypersapiens. The others carefully made their way through the crowd, shooting the distant hypersapiens with their laser guns, or shoving them away when they got close.

Shirley sensed something behind her and quickly ducked as a hypersapien swung its axe at her. She rose again, shooting the hypersapien in the back with her gun. Another soldier rushed at her with its axe, but Shirley threw a kick to its stomach. As she saw yet another hypersapien rushing at her, Shirley tossed the current hypersapien aside, and kicking the third in the chest.

Thyra attempted to run through the field, but paused when she saw some more hypersapiens coming at her. She quickly aimed her gun and fired, blasting the hypersapiens with the laser shots. Another hypersapien came from behind, grabbing her leg, but Thyra raised her fists and brought them down sharply into the hypersapien's back, sending it straight to the ground.

Norma also made her way through the field, shooting the hypersapiens around her. She shot one hypersapien, which fell to the ground at her feet, dropping an axe. Norma picked it up and hurled it forward, striking another hypersapien in the chest.

"Strike! You're out!" she called.

Grune walked through the field as casually as humanly possible, smiling her usual sweet smile and humming to herself. She aimed her gun and fired at the attacking hypersapiens. One of the soldiers managed to reach Grune, grabbing her by the shoulders. Grune grabbed the soldier back, spinning in circles.

"Rolling, rolling, whee!!" Grune tossed the hypersapien soldier into the air with a sweet giggle.

Will moved through the field, blasting the hypersapiens with his laser gun as well. When he sensed more attackers behind him, he pulled out his large hammer and spun around, whacking the hypersapiens who were coming up from behind. He faced forward again and rammed his hammer into the hypersapiens ahead of him.

"Beast!" Senel thrust his hands forward, unleashing a dome of energy that took the shape of a beast. The attack blew the hypersapiens forcefully away.

"Phantom Blade!" Chloe performed her spinning attack with her sword, repelling all the hypersapiens around her within range.

Jay used his dagger to ward off the attacking hypersapiens. When they began to crowd around him, Jay simply planted his fists on the ground and spun around, kicking the hypersapiens with his feet in a breakdancing maneuver. "Hawk Talon!" When the attack was completed, Jay sprang to his feet and ran towards the castle.

Shirley unleashed a large teriques to take out the hypersapiens in front of her. Another hypersapien came up from behind, wrapping its arms around her. "Ahh!"

Spotting his comrade in trouble, Moses rushed to her rescue, knocking the other hypersapiens aside with his elbows. He then threw his spear at the hypersapien attacking Shirley. The hypersapien roared in response, but still kept a hold on Shirley as it fell, taking her down to the ground with it.

"Ahh!" Shirley screamed as she struggled in the hypersapien's grip.

"Hang on!" Moses made his way over to her, shooting the hypersapien in the head with his laser gun, releasing its grip on Shirley. Moses then held out his spear towards her. "Here, grab this!"

Shirley reached out, grabbing the spear, and Moses pulled her to her feet.

"There's too many of them!" she cried.

"You ain't kiddin'!" Moses responded.

"We can't keep fighting them like this!" Will called. "We have to get into the castle!"

"I'll go bring down the drawbridge!" Senel said.

"Here, this'll help! Lion Rain!" Moses threw his flaming spears into the air, and the spears rained down on the hypersapiens, clearing a path to the castle.

"Thanks, Moses!" Senel ran over to the moat next to the bridge and dove straight into it.

"Senel!!" Shirley ran to the moat also, then turned and fired her gun at the remaining hypersapiens. Moses ran to her side.

Senel swam across the moat as fast as he could. But when he got halfway, something suddenly pulled him underwater. He opened his eyes, realizing that it was a hypersapien that had pulled him under. He struggled underwater for a moment, trying to break its grip on him.

Shirley and Moses paused and turned to the moat, but there was no sign of the Alliance Marine.

"Hey, where'd he go?" Moses asked.

Just then, Senel emerged in the water, gasping for breath with the hypersapien soldier still grabbing him by the neck.

"Senel!!" Shirley screamed as she dove into the moat after him.

"Shirley!" Moses called. "I ain't goin' in that water!"

Instead, he aimed his gun, shooting the hypersapien in the water, breaking its hold on Senel. But right afterwards, another hypersapien popped out behind Shirley, pushing her down into the water.

"Shirley!" Senel swam to the hypersapien, punching it in the face.

"Senel, I got this one!" Moses called. He shot the hypersapien in the head, blowing it up, and Shirley emerged from the water.

"Shirley, are you okay?" Senel asked.

"Ah...yes," Shirley said.

"Come on." Senel and Shirley both swam to the other side, climbing up the rocks to the cranks that held the bridge up. Each of them took one of the cranks.

"You ready?" Senel asked.

"Yeah," Shirley nodded.

"Then turn!"

They both strained to turn the crank, slowly lowering the drawbridge over the moat.

"All right, they got the bridge down!" Moses called.

"Way to go, Senny!" Norma cheered.

"Let's hurry!" Chloe called.

The rest of the party broke out of the crowd of hypersapiens, running across the bridge, joining Senel and Shirley at the door. The hypersapiens stumbled after them, swinging their arms wildly, trying to grab whomever they could.

Senel looked out into the field, noticing that Grune was still out there. "Grune, come on!"

"Over here, G-Girl!" Norma called. "Hurry!"

"Hmm?" Grune looked up. "Oh...yes, I'm coming."

The party continued to fire their guns at the hypersapiens, knocking them to the ground, or off the bridge into the moat.

Grune walked towards the bridge, but a hypersapien grabbed her from the side, biting her shoulder. Another hypersapien grabbed her from the other side, and another began chewing on her leg.

"Oh dear..." Grune muttered softly as she closed her eyes. "They're eating me..."

Slowly, the hypersapiens began to drag Grune to the ground.

"No, they got G-Girl!" Norma cried.

"Grune!!" Senel shouted.

"Fireball!" Shirley unleashed three fireballs, knocking the hypersapiens off Grune. However, Grune still lay on the ground motionless.

"We're too late; she's already out!" Will called. "Let's get into the castle!"

Shirley turned and jerked on the door, only to find that it would not budge. "No, the door's locked!"

"Damn it!" Senel snapped.

"We could blow the door, but then we wouldn't be able to keep the hypersapiens out," Jay said.

"Forget it!" Senel said. "I'll look for another way in. You guys stay here and hold them off!"

He began to run down the strip of land along the castle walls.

"Senel!" Shirley cried.

"Coolidge!" Chloe began to follow Senel. "I'm coming with you!"

Will and Jay stood in front of the group, fighting off the hypersapiens that crossed the drawbridge.

As Senel and Chloe ran down the path, a hypersapien soldier leaped out of the water, landing between them. Chloe gasped and fell to the ground, and the hypersapien climbed on top of her. Senel quickly ran to her aid, shooting the soldier in the head, spraying its blood in Chloe's face. With a disgusted look on her face, Chloe shoved the body aside.

"Are you okay?" Senel asked as he helped Chloe to her feet.

"Yeah, thanks," Chloe said, wiping the blood from her face.

Another hypersapien climbed from the moat in front of Senel. It swung its axe at him, but Senel dodged the attacks. He then punched the creature twice in the face, then threw it over the edge and into the moat. Chloe looked down for any more hypersapiens that might jump out.

Senel paused as he spotted a window behind him. "Look, here's a window!"

"Can you get through, Coolidge?" Chloe asked.

Senel let his fingertips glow, and then began to punch his way through the window glass.

Another hypersapien climbed up in front of Chloe with an axe. Chloe tried to block the axe with her sword, but the axe sliced cleanly through the blade near the hilt.

"Damn!" Chloe stared at her hilt in disbelief.

She felt the anger rising within as the hypersapien advanced on her. With the broken sword in her hand, she whacked the hypersapien across the face.

"Die, you son of a bitch!" she growled as she punched the hypersapien again, knocking it into the moat.

Senel climbed through the window as four more hypersapiens climbed out of the moat. "Chloe, come on!"

Gasping as the hypersapiens surrounded her, Chloe ran to the window. Before she could climb through, the hypersapiens brutally grabbed her, biting her at various points of her body. Chloe let out an ear-piercing scream in response.

"Chloe!!" Senel reached out and grabbed Chloe's wrists, pulling her towards him.

"Ahh!!" Chloe screamed again as the hypersapiens continued to chew on her. As Senel pulled her against him, she quickly threw her arms around him. "Coolidge!!"

"Argh!" Senel grunted as he pulled Chloe through the window and out of the hypersapiens' grasp. He set her down on the floor, then stood up to battle the attacking hypersapiens.

Chloe weakly dragged herself to the wall, where she leaned against it.

"Beast!" Senel unleashed his base eres, forcefully knocking the hypersapiens back into the moat. Finally, he closed the wooden shutters, locking them tightly.

"Oh no, Chloe!" Senel knelt down in front of the knight, placing his hands on either side of her face. Chloe's head only slumped over as she lost consciousness.

"Chloe, wake up!" Senel pleaded as he shook her gently. "Can you hear me? You've got to hang on!"

Chloe suddenly opened her eyes and looked up at him...but Senel instantly noticed the redness in her eyes.

"Chloe??"

"Raaaahhhh!!" Chloe roared as she viciously grabbed Senel, biting him hard on the shoulder.

"Argh!" Senel quickly pushed her off, crawling away from her. "Chloe...I can't believe it. She's..."

Chloe stood up awkwardly, swinging her arms wildly, snarling just like the other hypersapiens. Senel continued to back off until he heard the pounding noises in the distance.

_Damn...I almost forgot about the others!_ he thought

He stood up and turned the corner, running down the wide corridor until he reached the door. Upon opening the door, the party members quickly squeezed inside and closed the door. However, one hypersapien managed to squeeze through, grabbing Thyra's ankle on the floor.

"Ahh!" Thyra screamed as she fell to the floor, kicking the hypersapien repeatedly with her free leg.

"Ah!" Shirley gasped as she shot the hypersapien with her laser gun. Thyra kicked the body one more time, freeing her other leg.

"Is everyone all right?" Will asked.

"It appears that we all made it intact," Jay said, "except Grune, that is."

"Whew, I thought we were goners." Moses slapped Senel in the back of the head. "It sure took ya long enough to let us in!"

"Senel, are you okay?" Shirley asked. "You look really pale and clammy, and your coloring doesn't look good."

"Senny, is that a bite on your shoulder?" Norma asked.

"I'm fine; it's just a scratch," Senel insisted.

"You don't look fine," Will said.

"You're startin' to look just like Jay!" Moses threw in.

Jay rolled his eyes at the comment, but still waited for Senel's story.

"And where's C?" Norma asked.

"Senel, what happened?" Will asked sternly.

Senel paused for a moment. After seeing what happened to Chloe, keeping up this façade would be dangerous. Senel dropped to the floor, reclining on his back.

"It's Chloe...she became one of those things...and then she bit me."

No one showed any outside reaction, but they all felt the chill in their spines.

"Will, let's heal him," Shirley said.

"Right," Will agreed.

He knelt down next to Senel, releasing his healing eres over his upper body. Shirley knelt down next to Will, giving out some eres of her own.

"Wait...you don't understand..." Senel muttered in between gasps.

"Just relax, Senel," Will said.

A moment passed as Will and Shirley kept trying to heal Senel, while the others watched intently. Senel only let out a series of deep, rasping breaths.

Suddenly, Senel's body twitched. He let out a fierce snarl as he lifted his head, biting Will's arm.

"Argh!" Will screamed in pain as he pulled his arm away, then quickly pinned Senel down.

"Ah!" Shirley gasped as she stood up.

"Senny!?" Norma cried.

"What in the hell!?" Moses asked.

"He's become a hypersapien," Jay said calmly, his voice filled with horror.

"So suddenly?" Thyra asked.

"Senel..." Shirley watched with great sadness as Senel continued to lash out at Will with his growls and snarls.

Will looked at the bite on his arm as he continued to pin Senel down. "So now we know that the infection is spread through the bite."

"Teach...then that means..." Norma began.

"It means that I'm infected as well," Will told her. "The rest of you will have to go on without me."

"Will...we can't just leave you," Shirley said.

"We don't have a choice. It won't be long before I turn as well. Hurry and go, and take this with you." Will pulled out the DNA scanner with one hand and held it out.

Jay took the scanner from him. "Got it. Let's hurry."

The five remaining party members – Jay, Moses, Norma, Shirley, and Thyra – began to run down the corridor deeper into the castle. As they passed the next corridor, Chloe raced out, wrapping her arms around Jay. The boy quickly threw her off without hesitation, shoving her into the wall.

"C!?" Norma cried.

"Everyone, run!" Jay ordered.

The party continued to run down the corridor. Chloe pursued them only a short distance, stumbling and flailing her arms out. She then gave up, then turned around, walking very slowly in an awkward manner, her arms hanging limply at her sides.

Still pinning Senel down, Will watched Chloe in the distance.

"Chloe..." he said softly.

Senel snarled viciously as he lashed out at Will once again. Will continued to watch Chloe carefully as she slowly made her way towards him. She looked around blindly, breathing heavily, letting out a soft snarl.

Will knew that it wouldn't be long until Chloe attacked. He had to get away quickly, which meant that he would have to release Senel. As Chloe moved closer, Will quickly stood up and approached her quickly but cautiously. Now freed, Senel stood up and lashed out at Will again from behind. Chloe let out a roar of her own as she too lashed out with her arms. Will slipped past her, running down the corridor, going into the first room he saw. He slammed the door shut and leaned against it as Senel and Chloe crashed into the door, slapping and scratching at it like wild animals.

Will listened to the pounding and the snarling behind the door. Somehow this situation reminded him of when he first met Senel and Chloe. The way Senel beat up the Bantam Bouncers...and the way Chloe was recklessly attacking the bandits at the Misty Mountains. They had relied only on instincts back then. Just like now, as hypersapiens, Senel and Chloe could only act on instincts, to prey on those who were not infected.

Will looked at the bite on his arm once again as he could feel the virus taking its toll within his blood. "Already, half of our group has been infected," he lamented to himself. "And the mission is only just beginning..."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Melanie, Cashel, and Solon continued to explore the massive corridors of Castle Rexalia. The corridors appeared to be completely empty.

"There don't seem to be any more victims here," Melanie said.

"Impossible!" Cashel cried. "Rexalia is one of the most illustrious empires in the world! There had to have been more people!"

"Perhaps they've all left the castle?"

Solon slowly opened the door to his left, making a loud creaking sound, and looked down the stone staircase. "I sense something down here. We should investigate."

Cashel looked down the stone staircase as well. "Yes, I sense it, too."

Solon led the Terrors as they slowly stepped down the stairs, leading to a dungeon. They moved right in front of the holding cells, which were occupied by another group of hypersapiens. Upon spotting the Terrors, they lunged forward, reaching out towards them in between the steel bars. The Terrors stepped back to avoid their reach.

"Look at them..." Solon grinned as he listened to the growling and snarling of the hypersapiens. "Raging in the cage like wild beasts. I love it!"

Cashel raised his tonfa blades. "Shall we begin the slaughter?"

Melanie turned around, looking at the two dead Rexalian soldiers leaning against the wall. "Look at this."

Solon and Cashel turned around to see the soldiers as well.

"They must have lured these people into the cells, and got mauled in the process," Melanie said.

"That would have been something to see." Solon restored his attention to the cells, pulling out his laser gun. "For now, we should pick them off while they're helpless within the cells."

Melanie and Cashel aimed their guns as well.

"Ready?" Solon grinned even wider. "Aim...fire!"

The Terrors fired their guns, picking off the hypersapiens at random. One by one, the hypersapiens began to fall upon being shot, some even had their heads blown off.

As the Terrors were distracted, one of the dead soldiers behind them snarled and attacked Cashel, sinking his teeth into his neck.

"Gaaahhh!!!" Cashel screamed as he struggled, firing his gun uncontrollably in different directions. Solon and Melanie moved away, crouching down to avoid the blind shots. Cashel dropped his gun, still struggling as the hypersapien was still latched onto him. Finally, Solon stood up and took aim, firing a well-placed shot, knocking the hypersapien off Cashel.

"Ahh!" Cashel still wailed in pain, feeling the bite on his neck, then looking at the blood on his hands.

"Cashel?" Melanie asked.

Cashel pulled off his mask, taking some deep breaths. "Oh...I'm fine..."

"Are you sure?" Solon asked.

Without warning, Cashel's body began to twitch.

"Cashel?" Melanie muttered, the horror growing in her voice.

"Don't tell me..." Solon said softly. "That's how..."

"What!?" Melanie went to Cashel, grabbing his shoulders. "Cashel!"

Cashel straightened himself with his red eyes, emitting a fierce roar.

"Get away from him!" Solon ordered.

But it was too late as Cashel seized Melanie, biting her on the neck. Melanie screamed as she staggered into the wall and sank to the floor.

_So once the victim is bitten, that's it,_ Solon thought. _In that case, it's too late for both of them._

With that, Solon quietly left the dungeon as Cashel continued to prey on Melanie.

-----------------

Meanwhile, the remaining heroes were exploring the other areas of the castle. Now they explored a large castle hall with the red carpet running across the floor, and the bright chandelier hanging over the center.

"Shirley, I saw the way you fought the hypersapiens outside," Thyra said. "Where did you learn to fight like that?"

"Well, I learned the basics from Senel," Shirley replied. "And then I received some instruction from Chloe. From there, I've been developing my own style."

"So you don't use your crystal eres anymore?"

"No, I do. I'd rather use it to support allies rather than attack enemies. I realized that I'm much too vulnerable when I'm casting in battle. So I wanted to learn some self-defense. I still don't enjoy violence; I only fight to protect myself, and perhaps others."

"Yeah, Senel really seems to enjoy fighting."

The group walked up to a set of stairs and went through the door into a bedroom.

"Oooh!" Norma ran to the dresser and pulled out a fancy mirror with different colored gems decorating the frame. "Look at this! Sweet as candy!"

"Norma, what are you doing?" Shirley asked.

"Rexalia is the greatest empire in the world, right?" Norma said. "I can sell this for millions on the Legacy!"

"Is that all you care about?" Thyra asked.

Norma held the mirror to her chest, twisting her body back and forth. "Money, money, money! I love money!"

"Are all Orerines greedy like you?"

"Definitely not," Jay replied from the other side of the room.

"C'mon, Tulip, you know you want some!" Norma teased.

"N-no! I do not!" Thyra stammered.

"All right, there's nothing here, so let's move on!" Jay called.

Norma stuffed the mirror into her blue purse as she followed the others into the next room.

"This looks like a library," Shirley said.

It was a very large library at that. The walls were aligned with bookshelves as tall as the ceiling, and even more bookshelves in between the walls and the tables in the center.

The group began to spread out, exploring the library. Moses paused a for a moment and looked at his hand, which was shaking involuntarily.

Jay paused, noticing the bandit. "Moses?"

Moses continued to stare at his trembling hand.

"Moses!" Jay called more forcefully.

Still no response. Perhaps Jay could get a response by insulting the bandit with something he knew Moses would hate.

"Hey, stupid!"

When that still didn't work, Jay pulled a hardcover book from the shelf and threw it at Moses, hitting his head.

"Ow! What in the hell was that for!?" Moses demanded.

"Just making sure you were still human," Jay responded.

"Oh, come on!"

"Let's check between the bookshelves," Jay said. "Make sure there are no hypersapiens hiding."

The group spread out, looking in between the bookshelves.

"Clear," Jay said.

"All clear!" Shirley called.

"Clear," Thyra said.

"Ain't nothin' here," Moses said.

"Hmm..." Norma walked in between the tables in the center of the room. She then spotted a dead man in a black tuxedo sitting at the table in the back of the room, with his forehead resting on the table.

"Well, there's bound to be plenty of money in his pockets," Norma told herself. "And he looks dead enough."

She crouched down beside the man and began digging into his pockets. However, all she managed to fish out was a pocket watch.

"Is that all? You cheapskate!"

Without warning, the man came to life, snarling as he tackled Norma to the floor, biting her hard in the arm. Norma let out a loud scream of agony.

The others scrambled through the library to reach Norma. Shirley was the first to arrive, shooting the hypersapien with her gun. The hypersapien rolled off Norma, who lay on the floor, crying as she held her bleeding arm.

"Norma!" Shirley knelt down beside her. "Were you bitten?"

Still crying, Norma could only answer with a weak nod.

Shirley dropped her head. "No!"

The others arrived at the scene, looking at Norma.

"What the hell's goin' on?" Moses asked.

Shirley stood up and turned to them. "Norma's been bitten."

Everyone paused as they realized that Norma was now infected.

"Damn it! Not you too, Bubbles!" Moses cried.

"Then we have no choice," Jay said. "We'll have to leave her here."

"What!?" Norma sprang to her feet. "You're just gonna leave me here? By myself? What if more of those hypersapiens show up?"

"Once you become one of them, you won't have to worry about that," Jay told her, resisting a smile.

"Ooh, JJ, you're so mean!"

"I'm only speaking the truth. You will become one of them. You could turn at any moment."

"What!?" Norma stomped her feet. "But I don't wanna be a hypersapien!"

Without warning, she lunged forward, grabbing Shirley tightly by the shoulders.

"Ahh!!" Shirley screamed.

"Ahh!!" Moses and Thyra staggered back with a scream of their own.

"Shirl, you've gotta do something!!" Norma screamed, holding Shirley so tightly that she was trembling. "Don't let me become one of them!!"

Shirley pushed Norma away, gasping. "Don't do that, Norma! I thought you had turned!"

"Whew, so did I," Moses said.

"Come on, Shirl!" Norma continued to plead. "Use that crystal eres of yours!"

"That's not going to work," Jay said flatly. "Surely you know that. After all, you saw what happened to Senel. Will and Shirley were using their crystal eres on him when he turned."

"But you can't just leave me here! Take me with yooooouuuuu!!!"

"If we take you with us, you'll just turn and infect the rest of us. We can't afford to let that happen, or this mission will be lost."

"Oooh..." Norma began to stomp her feet in an anxious rage again. Jay slowly began to sneak around behind her.

"Norma...please calm down..." Thyra said cautiously. "The virus might work faster if you keep acting up like that."

Silently, Jay whacked Norma in the back of the head, instantly knocking her out cold. The others jumped with a start as Norma hit the floor with a soft thud.

"That'll buy us some time to get away before she turns," Jay said. "Let's hurry."

"Is it really okay to leave her like this?" Shirley asked.

"She'll most likely turn before she wakes up," Jay told her. "And the hypersapiens won't attack each other. She'll be fine, and we'll cure her and the others as soon as we get the antidote."

The group nodded and began to leave the library, leaving Norma unconscious on the floor.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Jay, Moses, Shirley, and Thyra continued to walk aimlessly through the castle halls.

"We need to search harder," Jay said. "The hypersapiens are getting closer. I can feel it."

Thyra opened the door to her left, looking down the stone stairway. "Look at this. I think it leads to a dungeon."

Jay looked down the stairs. "This looks like a good place. We were told that the original hypersapien was captured."

The group slowly walked downstairs into the dungeon, where the many hypersapiens were still locked within the cells.

"Hey, they didn't say anything about a bunch of originals!" Moses exclaimed.

"No...this is the wrong place," Jay said. "The original was supposed to be locked in a lab."

As the hypersapiens lunged at them against the steel bars, the cell doors were beginning to fall out of place.

"Uh-oh...run..." Jay warned. "Everyone, run!"

The group fled from the dungeon as the cell doors fell over, hitting the floor with a metal clang, and releasing the hypersapiens. As the part ran up the stairs out of the dungeon, Jay slammed the door behind him, locking it. Immediately afterwards, the hypersapiens were pounding on the door.

"I don't wanna be one of them, y'all!" Moses yelled. "We gotta bug out!"

"Quit whining, you stupid bandit," Jay said. "You're not really scared, are you?"

"Of course I'm scared! Those hyper things are all over the place! Jay, don't tell me that you ain't even scared!"

Jay smiled. "Well, maybe I am, but I'm not going to be a wuss about it."

"Hey, who're you callin' a wuss!?"

"Uh, guys?" Shirley pointed back to the end of the corridor, where another group of hypersapiens was slowly advancing with their limp bodies.

"Yahoo! Let's take 'em down!" Moses pulled out his spear, setting himself up in his battle stance.

"We've gotta move," Jay said. "We should avoid combat with the hypersapiens whenever possible. They're too dangerous. Let's go."

The party turned tails and ran down the hallway. Luckily, the hypersapiens hadn't noticed them, as they continued to drag themselves behind. The party reached the end of the corridor and ran through the door.

"Well, we've found the garden," Jay said.

"It's creepy," Thyra remarked.

The garden was decorated with a fancy fountain in the center, plus some clean-trimmed bushes aligning the walls. A concrete path led around the fountain to the door on the other side. What made it creepy was the light fog which seemed to glow in the moonlight. There were also a few hypersapiens walking around blindly.

"Okay, how bad is this?" Thyra asked.

"There aren't too many," Jay said. "We can make it through if we run."

The hypersapiens turned towards them and began to advance.

"They've spotted us!" Shirley exclaimed.

"Let's go!" Jay began to run through the garden, shoving the hypersapiens in his path. The others followed, also knocking out the hypersapiens in their way. When they reached the other side, they went through the door into another empty corridor. Jay led the group, looking into the first room on his left.

"Look, here's a lab," he called.

The group stepped into the lab, while Jay ran his hand along the wall, until he felt the light switch and turned it on.

"If the original hypersapien was locked up in a lab..." Shirley began.

"It must be in here," Thyra said.

"Let's look around," Jay instructed.

As the group explored the lab, they found the papers, chemicals, and dead scientists all over the floor. Thyra went to one side of the room, noticing a high-tech door with a hand panel next to it. Above the hand panel was a small dial.

"Hey, look at this!" Thyra called out.

The others quickly joined her as Thyra turned the dial, opening the small window on the door, and the light within the cell to come on. Cautiously, they moved closer, looking through the window. Without warning, a hypersapien attacked the window inside the cell, startling the group. This one wore a white lab coat, it had blonde hair, and its skin had rotted to a gray crust.

"This is it," Jay said. "This is the original hypersapien that we're looking for."

"All right!" Moses squatted up and down. "Let's get the sample and get the hell outta here!"

"Thank goodness," Shirley said with a relieved sigh.

"I'll second that," Thyra agreed.

"It's too early to celebrate," Jay told them. "Collecting the sample is one thing, but getting out of here will be a whole new challenge with the hypersapiens closing in."

"How do we get the sample?" Thyra asked.

"I guess we open it like this..." Shirley placed her hand on the panel. A yellow beam of light scanned her palm, then responded with a red glow and a buzzer. "I guess I'm not authorized..."

"I'll bet they are," Jay said, gesturing to the dead scientists on the floor. "You'll have to use one of their hands. I'll go in and obtain the sample."

"I'll go with you," Thyra said.

Jay sighed. "Well, I suppose I will need a hand..."

"Then I'm goin', too," Moses said.

"No, just one person is enough. Someone needs to stay outside to reopen the door when we're finished."

"Ooh, right."

"Okay...I'm going to open the door..." Shirley slowly reached down for the dead body below the panel, carefully taking hold if his wrist. She then lifted up the arm, placing its hand on the panel, and the door slid open.

"Once we're inside, you can close the door," Jay instructed. "We don't want the hypersapien getting loose."

"Right," Shirley nodded.

Jay and Thyra cautiously stepped inside the cell, and Shirley closed the door behind them. Shirley moved a few feet away from the door, next to Moses.

"I hope they'll be okay in there," she said.

"Me too," Moses agreed.

Keeping his eyes on the hypersapien, Jay pulled out the DNA scanner, handing it to Thyra. The hypersapien circled the cell, growling softly. Then the creature attacked by swinging its arm. Jay dodged the attack, then tripped it to the floor with his leg. He climbed onto the hypersapien's back, restraining its arms.

"Thyra, do it now!" he called.

"Right!" Kneeling beside the hypersapien, Thyra took a blood sample from its neck with the syringe. She then inserted the syringe into the scanner. "It says 'positive'!"

"Then that's what we're looking for," Jay said. "Get Shirley to open the door, and then we can leave this place."

"Right!" Almost smiling, Thyra stood up and looked through the cell window, where she saw Shirley and Moses standing. Her expression quickly turned to horror as she let out a soft gasp, then began banging on the door. "Merines!! Behind you!!"

By the time Shirley and Moses turned, it was already too late, as five hypersapiens tackled them both to the ground from behind. Shirley and Moses screamed as the hypersapiens began to chew on them.

"NO!!" Thyra continued to pound on the door.

"What happened!?" Jay called, still restraining the original hypersapien.

"Those filthy hypersapiens got Shirley and Moses!"

"What!?"

Suddenly, the hypersapien thrust its body upward, throwing Jay from its back. As Jay hit the floor on his back, the hypersapien quickly climbed on top of him, snarling.

"Jay!" Thyra tried to pull the hypersapien off, but it whacked her aside, knocking her into the wall.

Outside the cell, Shirley and Moses continued to struggle with the hypersapiens on top of them.

"Ahhh!" Shirley screamed in agony. "Fireball!!"

Three fireballs came down from above, striking three hypersapiens, setting them on fire. They stood up, flailing their arms, roaring loudly. Shirley and Moses took the chance to get up slowly.

Moses pulled out his spear, facing one of the hypersapiens who wasn't burned. "You hyper bastards!!" He thrust his spear into the hypersapien's chest.

Shirley pulled her gun, blasting the other hypersapien that wasn't burned. While the burning hypersapiens were still flailing their arms wildly, she began to concentrate. "Great will of the ocean, verily if thou deemest me thy proxy, then let all hear thy marvelous voice!"

Inside the cell, Jay was still struggling with the hypersapien on top of him. Thyra managed to pull out her gun, shooting it in the head. The dead body now fell on top of Jay, who quickly shoved it aside and sat up.

"Thanks..." he said, more disgusted than relieved.

"Don't mention it..." Thyra responded.

"Tidal Wave!!" Shirley cast her spell, as a large tidal wave suddenly formed within the room, slamming the burning hypersapiens onto the ceiling. When the spell subsided, the bodies hit the floor with a sickening thud.

"Auuugggh..." Moses let out a groan. "Nice move, Shirley...but I'm already bitten all over..."

"Me too..." Shirley replied, on the verge of tears. "I have to...get Jay and Thyra...out of there..."

She picked up the dead scientist's wrist again, placing the hand on the panel. The door slid open, and Jay and Thyra stepped out.

"Shirley!" Thyra cried.

"You're infected, aren't you?" Jay asked.

"Y...yes..." Shirley replied, trembling. "Both of us..."

"You can rest easy now. We have the sample, so all that's left is to deliver it to Alcott so that he can create the antidote. We'll come back and cure you as soon as possible."

"Ah...thank you..."

"But for now, you know what needs to be done, correct?"

"Yes..." Shirley stood up straight, closing her eyes. "Do it. I'm ready..."

Jay hit Shirley in the back of her head, knocking her out cold. Then he and Thyra went over to Moses, who stood several feet away.

"Moses..." Jay said softly.

"Go ahead, Jay..." Moses said. "Knock me out...but you better come back with that antidote, hear?"

"We will," Jay nodded. "Brace yourself, Moses."

He then hit Moses in the back of the head, knocking him out as well. As he watched the bandit hit the floor, Jay slowly made a fist as he felt some warm tears streaking down his face.

"Jay?" Thyra said softly.

Jay wiped his tears, then turned to her. "Don't worry, I'm fine. Let's leave before more hypersapiens show up. And remember to keep your guard up."

"Right." Thyra nodded.

They both shot another glimpse at Shirley and Moses on the floor before leaving the room. They headed back for the garden, only to see a whole swarm of hypersapiens walking around.

"We can't go back that way..." Thyra said.

"Right...let's go this way," Jay responded.

They turned around and ran down the corridor to begin their search for an escape route.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

As Jay and Thyra ran down the corridor, they could hear the noises of the hypersapiens. Suddenly, Jay ran into a random room on his right, and Thyra followed.

The room was a simple, but luxurious lounge, with two red plush chairs in front of a fireplace.

"What are we doing here?" Thyra asked.

"We need to rest for a few minutes," Jay said. "We can't afford to wear ourselves out."

They approached the chairs and found a man sitting in one of them, perfectly still.

"Hey, someone's here!" Thyra began to approach the man. "Excuse me..."

"Thyra, no!" Jay called. "Get back!"

The man suddenly sprang out of the chair, attacking Thyra, who wrestled in its grasp. Jay quickly ran behind the hypersapien, shooting its back. Thyra quickly threw the hypersapien to the floor.

"You hypersapien bastard!" Thyra shot the body several more times.

Jay rolled his eyes. "He's dead, Thyra. You can relax for now."

He took a seat in one of the plush chairs, and Thyra sat in the other chair.

"I don't see how you can be so calm right now," she said.

"It's the way I was raised," Jay said flatly.

"What?"

"I was raised as an assassin. Raised to kill. Raised to feel...nothing."

"I...I can't believe it," Thyra said softly. "It certainly explains a lot about you, though. But you're not like that anymore, are you?"

"Hmm?" Jay looked up.

"You abandoned your life as an assassin and became an information dealer on the Legacy."

"Yes, that's true..."

"And I've seen you with Senel and the others...smiling," Thyra went on. "You wouldn't be able to smile if you feel nothing."

"It's true...I'm not the same person I was back then," Jay said. "And I have to admit that our current situation has me quite rattled."

"Rattled?" Thyra never expected him to be rattled like this.

"I never thought it would come to this...just the two of us remaining."

Thyra lowered her head. "Yeah, I didn't think it'd be this bad either. But I don't want you to get bitten, Jay. I know I won't make it out of here on my own."

"And you'd better not get bitten either," Jay told her. "I'd rather not do this alone."

Thyra stood up, extending her hand. "So, do we have a deal?"

"Hmm..." Jay stood up and took her hand. "Yes...let's not get bitten."

"Do you think we should move now?"

"Yes, let's go."

Jay peeked out of the room, then began to walk down the hallway again with Thyra in tow. They made a left turn into another corridor. Then they reached the end, going through the door into a courtyard.

"Are we getting closer?" Thyra asked.

"I don't know..." Jay said. "Let's keep moving."

They carefully moved through the courtyard, but as they got near the other door, a horde of hypersapiens moved in front of it.

"Uh-oh..." Thyra said.

"Let's see if we can lure them away from the door," Jay said. "Follow me."

He backed away, then moved to the right side of the courtyard. Then they moved to the wall where their destination was. That proved to be a fatal mistake, as the hypersapiens were still at the door, beginning to advance on them. Another group was advancing from behind, trapping them in the corner.

"No, we're cornered!" Thyra cried.

"This is not good..." Jay whispered in horror, aiming his gun.

Thyra turned around, noticing a door behind her. "Jay!"

Jay turned also. "Go!"

The hypersapiens charged from both directions, snarling as they swung their arms violently. Thyra opened the door and ran through. Jay went through also, but the hypersapiens grabbed the door. Jay shot one of them, throwing them all off balance. Then Jay pulled the door shut, quickly locking it.

Jay and Thyra stepped back, breathing heavily as they listened to the hypersapiens pounding on the door from the other side.

"They just keep coming after us!" Thyra cried.

"Like hunting dogs tracking down our scent," Jay added.

Thyra looked at the room, which was plain and empty, except for the boxes that lined up on the walls. "Don't tell me we've hit a dead end..."

Jay went to the narrow section in the back of the room, looking at the vent on the floor. "We could crawl through this vent, but we can't open the grate at the other end from this side."

"So that means..."

"We're stuck."

They both paused, once again listening to the hypersapiens pounding on the door.

"That door's not going to hold forever," Thyra said. "We have to do something! We can't just sit here and wait to get eaten!"

Jay looked around some more, spotting another hypersapien on the floor. He approached it carefully, aiming his gun. Upon further inspection, he found the gunshot wound in the hypersapien's head.

"Someone else is in here..." Jay said softly.

"What?" Thyra asked.

"Come out," Jay called. "I know you're here."

"Ah, Jay...as sharp as ever, I see," a familiar, rasping voice said.

Solon appeared at the side of the room with a puff of smoke.

Thyra gasped. "You!"

"Solon!" Jay growled.

"What's wrong?" Solon asked. "You look surprised to see me. Although I have to admit, I'm surprised to see you here...especially alone with a Radiant girl."

"It's not like that," Jay said. "I came with the rest of the group...but they..."

"They what, Jay? Tell me."

"They...they all got infected! They all became hypersapiens!"

"Hypersapiens?" Solon pondered. "Is that what you call those creatures? Interesting..."

"So why are you here, Solon?" Jay asked bitterly.

"I came with Melanie and Cashel myself," Solon replied. "But needless to say, only I remain now."

"Melanie and Cashel got infected, too?" Jay shook his head. "You didn't answer my question; why are you here?"

"Oh, no particular reason. What about you, Jay? Why are you here?"

"We're here to find an antidote for the infection."

"I see. Have you had any luck?"

Jay looked back and Thyra briefly. "No, not yet," he lied.

"Yeah, we're still looking for it," Thyra added.

"I see..." Solon moved on. "Now, I seem to recall you saying you were stuck. Surely you're not really stuck, are you?"

"Of course we're stuck!" Jay snapped. "The hypersapiens are outside, and we can't get through the vent!"

"What if I told you that I could go around and open the grate from the other side?"

Jay glared at him. "I'd say you're crazy. Why would you want to do that?"

"Because I can't let my dear apprentice get eaten by those hypersapiens."

_His dear apprentice?_ Thyra thought.

"No thanks, we don't need your help," Jay said.

"Are you sure? You're the one who claimed to be stuck," Solon told him.

"I'm sure. I'd rather die than accept your help."

"You wound me, Jay."

"That's nothing compared to what I'll do next!"

Jay charged at Solon, drawing his dagger at the last possible second. However, Solon grabbed Jay's wrist, twisting it and forcing Jay to his knees, keeping his arm twisted so that Jay could not move his arm. As Jay was forced to prop his free hand on the floor, he found himself helpless in this position.

Thyra gasped as she pulled her gun and took aim at Solon. "Stop! Let go of him!"

Solon ignored her, grinning. "You know, Jay, I love it when you attack me."

"Wh...why?" Jay muttered.

"Because you always end up helpless in my grasp." Solon jerked on Jay's arm, causing him a great deal of pain. "Always!"

"Argh!" Jay cried out.

"I said let go of him!" Thyra ordered. "Or I'll..."

Solon shot her a look. "You'll do what? Shoot me? I don't think you will."

He jerked on Jay's arm again, causing the apprentice to cry out again. Thyra gasped and took a step closer, aiming at Solon. Solon paused for a brief moment, then jerked on Jay's arm again.

"Argh!" Jay cried out again. "Damn you!"

Solon jerked on his arm another time.

Thyra cocked her gun. "Stop! If you do that again, I _will _shoot you!"

"Really?" Solon grinned as he jerked on Jay's arm yet again.

Thyra gasped, but she still couldn't bring herself to fire.

"Why don't we make this more interesting?" Solon unsheathed his sword, putting the blade to Jay's shoulder. "Now, if you pull that trigger, I'll simply slice his arm off."

Thyra gasped again. "You can't be serious?"

"Oh, you don't believe me? Well, pull the trigger if you think I'm kidding. Go ahead, pull it." Solon's grin grew even wider now.

"Thyra..." Jay called, his voice strained. "Don't do anything stupid..."

Thyra began to tremble as she continued to aim, breathing hard. Eventually, she lowered her gun. "Fine...you win..."

Solon grinned. "Wise choice. Now, while we have each other's undivided attention...do you want me to open the grate from the other side, Jay?"

"Wh...what?" Jay spat.

"Choose carefully, Jay...or you'll be in a whole new world of pain." Solon jerked on Jay's arm once again.

"Argh! All right, all right!"

"I knew you'd come around." Solon released Jay, who collapsed to the floor in a heap. Jay pushed himself across the floor towards Thyra, holding his arm.

"Come on, Jay," Solon said. "I didn't hurt your arm that badly, did I?"

Jay stood up and glared at him. "No...it's nothing."

"Good." Solon began to walk across the room.

"Just let me ask you one thing," Jay said, still glaring. "How do you plan to get to the other side of that grate with all those hypersapiens out there?"

"Hmm...your remark about the hunting dogs gave me an idea." Solon went over to the dead hypersapien on the floor. Pulling out a dagger, he began to carve through the hypersapien's abdomen and then pulled out the thick red and black sludge.

Thyra looked away. "Oh, gross!"

Jay looked disgusted. "What the hell are you doing?"

"Perhaps the hypersapiens really do track their victims by scent," Solon said, smearing the sludge all over himself. "If I cover my scent with their blood, they'll think that I'm one of them."

"You're disgusting," Jay growled.

Solon finished covering himself with the sludge and stood up. Then he walked over to Jay, handing him his sword in its sheath. "Here, take it."

Jay took the sword reluctantly. "I don't want this."

"I'm not giving it to you. I want you to hold on to it until I get back. And I do expect you to return it to me. Do I make myself clear?"

Jay gave him an icy glare. "Crystal clear..." he responded in a low voice.

"Good." Solon went to the door and paused. Then, in a quick motion, he opened the door and stepped outside, promptly closing it.

Jay and Thyra stared at the door, waiting to hear sounds of combat. But all they heard was silence.

"Infiltrating the hypersapiens..." Jay muttered. "I sure hadn't thought of it. And even if I had, I still wouldn't try it."

"Me neither," Thyra said. "There's no way I'm covering myself with that filth."

Solon leaned against the door as a hypersapien soldier approached him. Sure enough, Solon could hear the sniffing sounds from the creature. After a few seconds, the hypersapien turned and walked back into the garden, where the rest of the hypersapien crowd was walking aimlessly.

"Looks like I was right..." Solon grinned.

Carefully, he began to make his way through the crowd, slowly stepping to the door that led into the main building. Then in another quick motion, Solon opened the door and went inside.

-----------------------

"This is ridiculous..." Thyra muttered. "Why are we trusting him?"

"I'd rather trust Solon than get turned into a hypersapien," Jay responded.

"But how can we be sure that he'll come back for us?"

"Because Solon wants me alive, and he'll do anything to keep me that way, even if it means helping us. Besides, he has to come back if he wants his sword back."

"Oh, you're right...he'll have to come back for his sword."

A moment of silence passed as Thyra walked to the door, pressing her ear against it.

"I don't hear any sounds of combat," she said. "Solon's plan must be working."

"Of course," Jay told her. "He's the one who raised me, so I would expect his plans to be as brilliant as my own...perhaps even more so."

Thyra slowly looked back at him. "So it's true...Solon raised you?"

Jay's heart skipped a beat as he realized that he inadvertently shared the most personal piece of information. But now that he'd already shared it, there was no point in denying it now.

"Yes..." he said with a sigh.

"So that's why he's after you?" Thyra asked.

"Yes...you would disdain me for this?"

"No! You're not like him. You're..."

Thyra was cut off as there was a loud pounding on the door. She gasped as she backed off, moving next to Jay, who immediately raised his gun. They both watched the door as he began to bend out of shape.

"The door's going to give, Jay..." Thyra said softly. "We're going to be in big trouble in a few minutes."

Jay continued to stare at the door. "If you're going to do this, Solon, you'd better do it now..."

-----------------

Solon ran down the empty corridors until he reached the grate. Taking a dagger from his pocket, he began to pry it open.

------------------

Jay and Thyra pushed a small desk in front of the narrow passage leading to the grate and climbed behind the desk. Then they aimed their guns at the door once again, waiting for the inevitable. The door began to bend more and more, on the verge of collapsing.

"Where the hell is Solon?" Jay growled.

"He's not coming back..." Thyra said.

"Don't be so sure..."

Finally, the inevitable happened. The door broke down, and the hypersapiens began to pour in. Jay and Thyra instantly began to blast them with their laser blasts.

Meanwhile, Solon finished removing the metal plate from the grate.

"Jay, Thyra, get out here now!" he shouted through the vent.

Jay and Thyra looked back at the grate.

"I never thought I'd be glad to hear Solon's voice," Jay muttered. "Thyra, you go first."

"But..." Thyra began to protest.

"Just go!" Jay snapped.

Thyra conceded and began to climb into the vent. Jay began to back up towards the vent as the hypersapiens continued to advance on him, swinging their arms.

"Hurry up!" Solon yelled from the other side.

Thyra came into view, crawling through the vent. As she reached the end, Solon took her arm and pulled her out. Thyra picked herself up, then looked through the vent.

"Jay, come on!" she called.

Jay began to climb into the vent as a few hypersapiens began grabbing his legs.

"Ah!" Jay cried out, kicking the creatures the best he could, and then shot them with his gun. Now freed, Jay began to crawl through the vent.

"Jay!!" Thyra yelled even louder.

When they still didn't see him, Thyra and Solon exchanged glances. Finally, they spotted him crawling through the vent. Thyra reached inside, pulling him out as he reached the end. From there, Jay crawled over to the wall, leaning against it. He began to check his ankles throroughly for any hypersapien bites. He then let out a sigh of relief as he realized that he was clean.

"Jay, are you okay?" Thyra asked. "You didn't get bitten, did you?"

"No...thank goodness," Jay let out another sigh as he stood up. "All right, let's move on."

"What will you do, Jay?" Solon asked, a sinister tone in his voice.

Jay and Thyra paused and looked at him.

"We're going to make our way out of here," Jay replied. "What are _you_ going to do?"

"Hmm...I think I'll join you."

Jay staggered back. "Wh...why!?"

"I already told you why. I can't let those hypersapiens get you before I do."

Jay let out a sigh. "Okay, you've done your part. We'll take it from here. We don't need you to join us."

"Fine...then I'll just follow you. And you can't stop me."

Jay paused again. "As much as I hate to admit it, Thyra, he's right. We can't stop him from following us..."

"That's just great..." Thyra grumbled, glaring at Solon.

Jay turned and began to walk, making a left turn at the corridor, with Thyra beside him. They stopped as they saw a crowd of hypersapiens walking towards them from ahead.

"Oh Nerifes..." Jay mused.

Rather than take action, Jay and Thyra turned and began to walk in the other direction. Solon paused to look at the moving hypersapiens, and then turned to follow his apprentice.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Jay and Thyra continued their trek down the corridors of Castle Rexalia. Now they had definitely lost their way, as they had no particular destination in mind. Jay was pondering whether to look for the nearest exit, or to face off against the hypersapiens.

Meanwhile, Solon trailed only few feet behind. His motives were entirely different from Jay's, even though his goal had changed since coming here.

_This is just perfect,_ Solon thought to himself. _This couldn't have worked out better if I'd planned it. I will claim Jay once and for all. Now that his precious friends have been infected, he'll have no choice but to return to me. I will protect him, and then I will claim him as mine, and dispose of that Radiant girl._

Thyra shot a nervous glance back at Solon. "How much longer is that man going to follow us?"

"Just ignore him," Jay responded. "Solon is the least of our problems right now."

"You should listen to him," Solon added. "Don't you think that those hypersapiens are even worse than me?"

"It's bad enough with those hypersapiens out there," Thyra said. "But with you following us..."

Jay cut her off. "Thyra, I said ignore him. We have to keep moving."

Thyra sighed. "All right."

Sharply turning away from Solon, Jay and Thyra resumed walking down the halls. Eventually, they walked through a dressing room, with closed stalls on either side.

"Well, we found a dressing room," Jay remarked.

Suddenly, a male hypersapien burst out from one of the stalls, grabbing Solon. The sadistic man didn't even blink as he quickly threw off the creature, blasting it with his gun as it staggered backwards.

"Looks like my little 'disguise' is wearing off," Solon mused as he turned to Jay and Thyra, who were now staring at him. "Oh, I'm fine. Thank you for your concern."

Jay and Thyra rolled their eyes as they turned back around to leave the dressing room.

As they walked down another corridor, Solon began thinking to himself again. "The difficult part will be catching him. It's too dangerous to capture him in here, so we have to wait until we get out. But then Jay will be able to escape more easily outside..."

Thyra shot another nervous glance behind her. "We can't keep wandering around like this; we're too vulnerable."

Jay gave her a look. "Do you know something that I don't?"

"Um..." Thyra tried to think of something, assuming that Jay already knew about it. "I guess not..."

"But you're right; it's too dangerous to keep walking around aimlessly. So we'll need to make a stand."

"A stand?"

"That's right. The hypersapiens are too dangerous to fight up close. But if we can keep them at a distance and blast them, we may have a chance."

Thyra nodded. "Sounds like a good idea. Do you know how we can keep them at a distance?"

"Do you remember how we defended against the hypersapiens at the grate?"

"Yes..."

"We'll do the same thing, except we'll barricade the door with a low but heavy surface, and then we'll have the entire room to fight within."

"All right, sounds good," Thyra said. "But what about him?"

She and Jay gave Solon another look.

"I know," Solon replied. "You want me to fight with you."

Jay folded his arms as he glared at Solon. "And what, pray tell, gave you that idea?"

"Think about it, Jay," Solon explained. "You're probably more aware than any of us of how dangerous these creatures are. You're going to need all the help you can get."

"But why should we accept help from you?" Jay asked. "What do you hope to gain from this?"

Solon only grinned. "What do you think I want, Jay?"

Jay turned his head slightly, still looking at Solon from the corner of his eye. "I know you all too well..."

"So what will you do, Jay?"

Jay and Thyra continued to stare at the man for a few more minutes. Thyra slowly clung onto Jay's arm.

"Don't do this, Jay," she whispered softly. "Don't trust him..."

Jay let out a sigh. "Fine."

"Jay!" Thyra hissed.

"But you just remember," Jay said to Solon. "I will shoot you if you try anything funny."

Solon shrugged. "Fine. Even if you shot me, you'll likely miss."

Instead of responding, Jay turned and walked down the hallway again. Thyra ran to catch up with him.

"And you said I was the stupid one?" she taunted.

"I know what I'm doing," Jay told her. "And I won't let Solon get me again."

Thyra shrugged. "If you say so."

Jay led the way, eventually turning to the room on his right. This was an office room, with various desks and papers scattered all over the place. Of course, there was also blood splattered everywhere.

"This looks like as good a place as any," Jay remarked.

"Yeah, I guess," Thyra said.

"Here, help me move the furniture."

With Thyra's help, Jay moved one of the desks across the doorway, leaving the door open. Solon only watched, anticipating his plan.

"So we just sit here and wait for the hypersapiens?" Thyra asked.

"That's right," Jay replied. "It's a lot safer than looking for them."

"Yes, I suppose so."

"But first, we should check the room to make sure it's clear."

"Right."

Jay and Thyra moved to the opposite sides of the room, checking for any signs of danger. Jay spotted a dead man on the floor. He aimed his gun carefully, kneeling down next to it, ready for it to spring to life. Surprisingly, nothing happened. Jay continued to watch the body...

Meanwhile, Thyra spotted a dead woman on the opposite side of the room. She too became suspicious, and watched the body carefully.

Al the while, Solon stood in the center of the room. Now was the perfect time to execute at least part of his plan. He turned to Thyra, flashing a grin. Unbeknownst to her, he slowly crept up behind her, flicking his thumb, and partially unsheathing his sword.

Jay perked up upon hearing the click of the sword. He stood up, aiming his gun at his former master. "Solon!"

Solon only paused. "Yes?" he asked as innocently as he could.

Thyra turned around, immediately noticing Solon's blade partly exposed. She merely staggered backwards with a gasp. "Wh...what are you...?"

Before the confrontation could continue, the body behind Jay sprang up, grabbing him in a bear hug.

"Ah!" Jay gasped, struggling as the hypersapien snarled all over him.

"Jay!" Thyra cried.

Solon aimed his gun with a grin. "Ready...aim...fire!"

Jay ducked as well as he could in the hypersapien's grip, trying to avoid the shot. Luckily, the blast missed him, striking the creature in the head and killing it. Jay looked down at the dead creature, shaking badly. He staggered over to a nearby desk, grabbing it for support.

"There now." Solon slowly moved toward the boy. "What would you do without me? You'd perish without me. You can't survive without me. You can't live without me. Admit it."

"No, I..that's not true..." Jay stammered.

"Oh no, it is." Solon stood in front of Jay, now caressing his face. "I am your life. I am your savior. Admit it."

"No...you..." Jay stammered, fighting tears. "I..I don't need you."

"Won't it be nice once we leave this place?" Solon continued. "I'll spread this infection all over the Legacy. After that, you and I will travel back to the mainland, where you'll be my little bitch, just like the old days."

Jay only lowered his head, thinking to himself. _Why...why did I have to be saved...by him?_

"There's no need to worry," Solon told him. "While we're at it, I'll be sure to dispose of this Radiant bitch as well."

Like Jay, Thyra was immobilized by Solon's words. She merely backed away, toward the dead woman at her feet. _Jay, why don't you do something?_

Without warning, the dead woman woke up, instantly chomping on Thyra's ankle.

"Ah!" Thyra screamed in pain as she staggered over to the nearest desk and collapsed to the floor.

"Hmm?" Solon turned around.

Jay only gasped as he turned his eyes to the scene. "Ah!"

The female hypersapien continued to snarl on the floor, not making any attempts to get up. Solon fired a couple of shots at her with his gun. The bullets struck her body, but apparently did no harm. So Solon calmly walked up to her, standing over her condescendingly. From there, he fired a point-blank blast to her head, killing her.

Thyra touched her bleeding ankle, then looked at the blood on her hand. "Oh no..."

"Thyra!" Jay went in front of her, fighting tears. "How can this happen!? Why!?"

"Jay...I'm sorry..." Tears were already streaming down Thyra's cheeks. "I...broke the promise that I made to you. I said I wouldn't get bitten, and now..."

Jay shook his head. "Stop it...just stop it."

Thyra reached into her pocket, pulling out the vial containing the blood sample. "Here, take this. Get this sample back to Alcott so that he can create the antidote. And you'd better come back to cure us. Make me that promise, Jay."

Solon unsheathed his sword, and began slicing the female hypersapien. "Now to cut you up into teeny, tiny little pieces..."

Jay gave him a look before restoring his attention to Thyra. "I promise. I won't fail. I can't fail...not now. Not after coming this far."

Thyra began to tremble as her skin became clammy. "You...you'd better move. The infection is already...taking its toll..."

Jay stood up. "I'll be back."

Solon wiped his blade clean on the dead hypersapien's clothes before placing it back in its sheath. He then stood in front of Thyra. "Well, what do we have here?"

Thyra looked away. "Spare me your gloating. Just go away."

"Hold on there. I think I'd like to watch you turn. It was quite interesting to watch Cashel turn. The way his body twitched...and twitched...and twitched..."

"Okay, I've already seen what happens! You don't have to describe it!"

"Have you now? Did you see the look on his face? He was in pure agony, wasn't he?"

"Wh...what do you care?"

Solon grinned. "I wish to see it again. How I long to see your beautiful face straining in pain..."

"Ugh..." Thyra tensed up, hoping to somehow fight the infection, although she knew how utterly futile it was. "Well...surely you have better things to do than taunting me. Your 'dear apprentice' just might sneak out on you..."

"What?" Solon looked around, realizing that the apprentice was no longer in the room. Furious, he kicked the desk that was blocking the doorway. "That little brat!"

Thyra kept a laugh in as Solon quickly ran from the room. Her laughter was soon killed off by the pain in her body.

"Oh...Jay...please hurry..."


End file.
